# TO G. E. ZINOVIEV, M. M. LASHEVICH,

Source: PSS vol. 50

E. D. STASOVA

20. VII. 1918

Comrades Zinoviev
and Lashevich
and Stasova

It is necessary to move the maximum number of workers from Petersburg:

(1) several dozen "leaders" (à la Kayurov)

(2) thousands of "rank-and-file" workers.

Otherwise we shall fall, because the situation with the Czechoslovaks is absolutely disastrous.

It is foolish in such a situation to "sit" on the "well-being" of Petersburg and "regret" sending people from there: let even

* At the top of the document V. I. Lenin wrote: "(and for comrade Bryukhanov)". Ed.

RADIOGRAM FROM S. G. SHAUMYAN. 22 JULY 1918

the majority of votes in the Petrograd Soviet fall from 98% (do you have 98%?) to 51%! What of it!

We shall not perish even if (even!) in Petersburg it comes down to 49% in the Soviet of those not ours (whenever that may be). But we shall certainly perish from the Czechoslovaks if we do not make desperate efforts to add hundreds and thousands of leading workers for transforming the jelly into something solid. This is not an exaggeration, but an exact calculation. Y o u will answer for the ruin if you are stingy and careful to preserve things "for Petersburg."

Greetings! Your Lenin

P.S. Reply!

XXXIV

Printed in full in 1950
in the 4th edition of the Collected
Works of V. I. Lenin, vol. 27

First printed incompletely
in 1942 in the Lenin Miscellany

Printed from the manuscript